1. Learning Module #3: Understanding Opportunities and Discerning your Healthcare Career Path
CENTRAL COLORADO
AREA HEALTH
EDUCATION CENTER
(CCAHEC)

2. Congratulations, You decided to go into health care!
One Japanese philosopher said that the best job have three characteristics:
Gain
Beauty
Benefit

3. Job Characteristic #1: Gain
A great job can give you financial independence or financial freedom
You don’t have to worry about money

4. Job Characteristic #2: Beauty
You enjoy what you do
When you do what you are passionate about, you will not be working……you will be playing!

5. Job Characteristic #3: Benefit
Gives you the sense of satisfaction and sense of fulfillment
You live a meaningful life
That said, you readily become contributive to your family and to your community

6. Healthcare ranked….. 14th (out of 20) among well-paying careers
4th(out of 10) among the fastest growing careers
Careers that require college make more money

7. Let’s face it , you want a better life!
Other great benefits in healthcare careers:
Medical/dental/vision insurance
Retirement and life insurance
Vacation leave
Sick leave
Flexible work hours (10 hours/day for 4 days)
In some careers ( like medical coding or research), you may be able to work remotely (for example: from home or from the beach)

8. MANY OPPORTUNITIES!
You can apply for jobs after high school and still get paid well
You can be trained so that you will be able move into a higher position
You will have access to hundreds of job openings (within same department or the same hospital/organization)

9. OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS
All you need to do is decide which one!
As you already know, you can have several careers in your lifetime

10. Healthcare opens a door to other careers
You can start your own clinic or practice… Become your own boss!
You can work in schools(universities), corporations, government, non-profit organizations and communities

11. Healthcare is a door towards other careers
You will be qualified to work in sports, law, medical/pharmaceutical research, information technology and more….
You can become a lecturer, keynote speaker or an author
Being a speaker you may be paid few hundreds or thousands per speaking engagement…. or book sales

12. Healthcare/Medical: Administrative
Examples
Account executive
Information Technology Specialist
Medical Claims/billing specialist
Patient Access Supervisor
Program Manager
More job titles will be provided to you

13. Healthcare/Medical: Clinical
Examples
Behavioral Health Charge Nurse
Opticians/optometrist
Anesthesiologist
Speech-Language Pathologist
Veterinarian
More job titles will be provided to you

14. Healthcare/Medical: Support
Examples
Athletic Trainer
Certified Clinical Research
Coordinator/Associate
Nurse informatics
Pharmacy Aide
Recreational Therapist
Job list in Support and technical areas may overlap. More job titles in this category will be provided to you

15. Healthcare/Medical: Technical
Examples
Dieticians
Exercise Physiologist
Clinical Liaison
Health Educator
More job careers will be provided to you

16. Doctors: Doctor of Medicine (MD) Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)
Training/education required:
Requires 4 year college and 4 year medical school
Specialization (fellowships) requires more training
Examples:
General Practitioner, Surgeons, OBGYN, Internal medicine

17. “Mid-Level” providers- Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants
Training/education required:
Requires 4 year college and 2-4 year specialized training program
Also usually requires additional training after medical school, but not as long as for a doctor
Examples:
Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant

18. Technicians
Duties:
Tend to have one specific function in workplace, limited duties
Training/education required:
Most don’t require college
Most require short training program (~1 year)
Examples:
Surgical tech, radiology tech
EMT, Dental Tech/Hygienist

19. Aids and Assistants Duties:
Tend to have one specific function in workplace, very limited duties
Training/education required:
Most don’t require college
Most require short training program (~1 year)
Examples:
CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)
MA (Medical Assistant)

20. Health Careers Assessment
Go to:
Take the health career assessment. At the end, it will give you a possible career that fits your skills.

21. Search information about your career
Resources you may want to use:
Bureau of Labor: Occupational Outlook Handbook
Connecting Colorado
Indeed.com
Websites of universities, companies, organizations

22. What should I do now? Create a logic diagram What should I do next?
In College?
In high School?
When applying to college?
Classes
Other activities
What programs to look for
Things to think about

23. Examples of Core Classes that you may
So what should I do now?
Finish high school or Get GED
Examples of Core Classes that you may
have to complete:
English, Mathematics, biology, chemistry
physics, anatomy, physiology, medical
terminology 3

24. So what should I do now? Seek out resources Get experience now
Ask for help
Contact a professional already in the
field you are interested in
Career counselor/advisor in your school
Internet
Call us at CCAHEC
Get experience now
Shadow/interview a professional
Volunteer

25. In Conclusion…healthcare is rewarding!
You help patients get
more years in to their life so that they’re
able to …..
> complete their dreams
> help their love ones
get their dreams
> enjoy life with their love ones
You help patients enjoy a
high quality of life
Conclusion: mention

26. In Conclusion…healthcare is rewarding!
More importantly, you give
patients their inviolable
right…….
the right to become healthy and
the right to become happy
Conclusion: mention

27. The best part of being a healthcare professional:
You will feel a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction
Your job may be hectic or hard but there is always that “awesome feeling”
Your service will be recognized specially by patients, organizations and or people you may not even know.

28. Thank you!